chased winner, hard driven halfway, stayed on under pressure over 1f out, never able to challenge
chased leaders, soon outpaced, stayed on strongly inside final furlong, not reach winner
tracked winner, hard driven and effort over 1f out, not pace to challenge
made all, travelled strongly, hard driven over 1f out, held on gamely
chased leaders, under pressure before halfway, soon beaten
Guto would have a great chance here if anything like at his best, but recent efforts have hardly been encouraging and we have to take him on with MONTE MAJOR. The Derek Shaw-trained selection is 7lbs worse off with Guto than if this were a handicap. Sellers and claimers over this minimum trip have proved a successful raiding route for connections in recent times, with good efforts in both those disciplines on his last two starts meaning that he looks the one to be on again today. Guto has scored four times over course and distance, including in a handicap from a mark of 65 last August. The assessor has been very reluctant to drop him in the weights despite being comfortably beaten since and on recent evidence you would be hard pressed to back him with any confidence today. Spic 'n Span goes well here, having bagged a maiden and two handicaps over course and distance, and now back here for the first time since August himself, he can make a bold showing and would be no shock winner. The trip looks a bit short for Music Box Express, and Fasliyanne is proving hard to win with, and with neither favoured at the weights we will side with Monte Major.
Guto 40-1 (8-7) Close up, ridden over 1f out, weakened entering final furlong, 5th of 7, 9l behind Poet's Place (9-4) at Southwell 6f hcp 0-75 (5) fbs.
Monte Major (IRE) 8-1 (8-3) Pressed leader, ridden 2f out, led over 1f out, ran on, won at Southwell 5f Apprentice Claiming Stakes (0-70) (4yo+) (6) fbs in Jan beating Bo McGinty (8-3) by 1/2l, 6 ran.
Music Box Express 6-1 (8-2) Led, headed well over 1f out, soon weakened, 6th of 7, 10l behind Castle Myth (8-4) at Southwell 6f clm stks (6) fbs.
Spic 'n Span 12-1 (8-6) Tracked leading trio, going well 2f out, ridden and weakened inside final furlong, 9th of 10, 4 1/2l behind Perlachy (8-7) at Wolverhampton 5f hcp 0-75 (5) pol.
Fasliyanne (IRE) 20-1 (8-11) Led after 1f, ridden 2f out, headed inside final furlong, soon weakened, 7th of 9, 4l behind After The Show (8-11) at Lingfield 5f Handicap (0-62) (4yo+) (6) pol in Jan.